WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Blog, (Work in Progress), features a post by Carl Fillichio, the department's senior advisor for communications and public affairs, in which the department makes recommendations for summer reading lists and announces new additions to its Books that Shaped Work in America collection. Click here to tweet this blog post!

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced an $876,300 National Emergency Grant to assist approximately 120 workers affected by layoffs at four companies in Middlesex County, Mass.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $1,816,666 National Emergency Grant to assist approximately 450 workers affected by the closure of International Paper Co.'s facility located in Courtland, Ala.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans, also known as the ERISA Advisory Council, will meet Tuesday, June 17, through Thursday, June 19. The three-day meeting will take place at the U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20210. On June 17 and 19, the meeting will take place in C-5320, Room 6. On June 18, the meeting will take place in C-5521, Room 4. The meeting will be held from 9:00 a.m.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $5,599,860 National Emergency Grant award to assist with the cleanup and recovery efforts resulting from severe storms, tornadoes and flooding in Mississippi. These funds are being awarded to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security and will be used to create approximately 420 temporary jobs to assist with the recovery efforts.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $5,599,860 National Emergency Grant award to assist with the cleanup and recovery efforts resulting from severe storms, tornadoes and flooding in Mississippi. These funds are being awarded to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security and will be used to create approximately 420 temporary jobs to assist with the recovery efforts.

HUDSON, Ohio — Kobelco Stewart Bolling Inc., which manufactures industrial machinery, has been cited for 13 safety and health violations by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Proposed penalties at the company's Hudson facility total $139,000. OSHA's investigation was initiated following a worker complaint, and the investigation found repeat violations of machine guarding standards, which protect workers from lacerations, caught-in and amputation hazards.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit against Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. on behalf of four employees who received disciplinary action and unsatisfactory performance appraisals for reporting workplace injuries that occurred in Missouri and Kansas in 2011 and 2012.

WILMETTE, Ill. — Fortune Painting Co. Inc. has been cited for 25 violations by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration, including willful and repeat violations for exposing workers to dangerous levels of lead from lead-based paint. OSHA cited the company for failing to protect workers from serious fall hazards while restoring a home in Wilmette.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy and the National Council on Disability invite the public to participate in an online dialogue on the importance of technology accessibility and usability, particularly in regards to the universal design in the development of workplace technology products.The virtual town hall runs from today, May 15, Global Accessibility Awareness Day, to Friday, May 30.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Black Bear Burritos LLC will pay a total of $232,295 in back wages to 105 workers employed at two restaurants located in Morgantown. Investigations conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division's Charleston Area Office disclosed minimum wage and overtime violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act, including requiring servers to participate in an illegal tip pool, or tip sharing arrangement. When notified of the violations, the company agreed to pay all back wages and to future compliance.

GALVA, Ill. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has again cited All-Feed Processing and Packaging Inc. for willful and repeat violations for exposing workers to combustible and respiratory dust hazards. In addition to creating an explosion hazard, the plant's high concentration of airborne dust could cause workplace-induced asthma and other illnesses.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration is soliciting applications under the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program through two separate and distinct announcements. A total of $7 million is available for nonprofit organizations, including community and faith-based organizations, employer associations, labor unions, joint labor/management associations, and colleges and universities.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez released the following statement regarding yesterday's deadly mine explosion in western Turkey:

"Yesterday in Turkey, hundreds of people left for their coal mining jobs and didn't come back.

"The United States stands in solidarity with Turkey as rescue efforts continue. We have experienced mine tragedies and disasters in our country over the years and understand the difficulties of the rescue operations and the grief and suffering of the families during these times.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of up to $53 million in grants through the Workforce Innovation Fund, an initiative designed to strengthen public job training programs by: delivering employment and training services more efficiently and effectively, facilitating greater cooperation across workforce programs and funding streams, scaling best practices, and implementing rigorous evaluation techniques.

Date of Action: May 8, 2014

Type of Action: Complaint

Names of Defendant: Mark Tincher, Tincher Chevrolet Oldsmobile 401(k) Plan

Allegations: An investigation by the Employee Benefits Security Administration found that Tincher, who was trustee and sole owner of the company, failed to administer the plan and provide written authorization to allow distribution or rollover of the plan’s participant accounts after Tincher Chevrolet Oldsmobile ceased operations in July 2011.

The Plan has assets of $183,146.48 and five eligible participants.

FAIRFIELD, Texas — Tim Cooper Farm Enterprises LP, doing business as Cooper Farms and Cooper Farms Country Store in Fairfield, has paid more than $122,000 in back wages and civil money penalties following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division. The investigation found that the company violated the child labor, minimum wage, overtime and record-keeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and provisions of the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act.

NEW YORK — The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment against a Glendale — based chain of 17 neighborhood supermarkets and owner Andres Ferreira. The firm, doing business as NSA Supermarket, NSA Golden Mango and Met Food in the New York City area, agreed to pay $372,172 in back wages and liquidated damages to 18 vulnerable workers. These employees worked for less than the minimum wage at stores in Brooklyn and Queens, following an investigation by the department's Wage and Hour Division.

BAYONNE, N.J. — Roasted nut manufacturer Star Snacks Co. LLC has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration for two willful and six serious safety violations, resulting in a $180,000 proposed penalty. The violations include overexposure to dangerous levels of carbon monoxide and noise hazards found at the company's Bayonne manufacturing facility.

BOSTON — The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Donald Pottern, doing business as Crown Furniture, of West Springfield, for allegedly firing a worker who filed a safety complaint with the department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration.